Keto Taco Soup

This Keto Taco Soup not only tastes delicious but is the perfect comfort food. It’s rich, creamy, and has a true taco flavor. After you have tested it, I have a feeling that it will be in your regular ration when meal prepping!

I know no one wants to think this way but fall and winter are getting pretty close so we need to get our soup recipes ready. And today I’m so excited to share this Keto Taco Soup with you! 

Soup has never been high on my list of dinners, but this one actually made the list for me. It’s not only super easy, but it’s also a one-pot meal, oh and it’s actually filling! My problem with most soups is that both my husband and I never feel full after, but that’s not the case here. 

In fact, we gave some friends a batch last week and not only did they love it, but one of our friends actually wanted seconds…and he’s not a big soup person either. I felt very proud after hearing that! 

However, if you are in a “Taco Mood” instead then please go ahead and try a few of our other recipes including: Taco Salad, Keto Tacos, Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas, and our Keto Almond Flour Tortillas which go with everything.

What is Taco Soup?

Honestly, taco soup is a type of soup that is made with similar ingredients to those you will find inside a taco. We use ground beef, onions, peppers, tomatoes with green chiles, homemade taco seasoning, cream cheese, and beef broth. 

It really does taste just like a taco, but instead, you eat it in a bowl with a spoon.

Is Taco Soup Keto-Friendly?

Sure thing!! Taco soup is great for a low carb diet as long as you use the right ingredients.

I made sure to use all keto-friendly ingredients, making it only 3.8 NET CARBS PER CUP. You can’t get much better than that!

What Ingredients are in Creamy Low Carb Taco Soup?

• Ground Beef – I used 80/20 beef, but if you want to use one that is leaner that’s fine. Or you can sub with ground turkey or chicken.  
• Onion – Red or white onions both work. If you aren’t counting carbs, then go ahead and add in more onion if desired. 
• Bell Peppers – Use whatever color pepper you want. I’m a big fan of the red, yellow, and orange ones. Whichever one you use, it adds lots of flavor to the keto taco soup. 
• Rotel Tomatoes –  This is a canned tomato and green chili mixture. Feel free to use regular canned tomatoes if you can’t find Rotel in your grocery store. 
• Taco Seasoning – We highly recommend using our popular homemade keto taco seasoning recipe. 
• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese is what makes the low carb taco soup creamy, while also raising the fat content for all those keto dieters. 
• Beef Broth – Any beef broth will work just fine, or you can use beef bone broth for some extra protein.

Keto-Friendly Taco Seasoning

Stop buying taco seasoning packets from the grocery store!!! They are never just straightforward seasonings, they will always have extra additives.

Plus many of them have added sugar which is no good if you are on a low carb diet.

INSTEAD….make our Homemade Keto Taco Seasoning! Not only is making this taco seasoning cheaper in the long run, but you know EXACTLY what’s going into it. 

I always have a jar in my spice cabinet ready to go whenever I make this keto taco soup, fajitas, taco salad, or just plain ole tacos.

Different Variations of Keto Queso Soup

We use cream cheese to thicken our low carb taco soup. I find that it is creamy without being too thick. However, you could replace the cream cheese and use heavy cream instead, or for a dairy-free option use full-fat coconut milk. 

Meat Options

• Ground Beef (my personal favorite) 
• Ground Chicken 
• Ground Pork 
• Cubed Steak

Toppings Options

Think about all of your favorite taco toppings: 

• Cheddar Cheese 
• Sour Cream 
• Cilantro 
• Lime Slices 
• Sliced Jalapenos 
• Avocado
• Fresh Tomatoes

Can I Add Beans to Keto Soup?

Sorry but adding beans and legumes to any keto soup is just going to be too high in carbs. I know they have a lot of fiber but are full of carbs. 

The only bean I would recommend adding to a keto soup is green beans. They are more of a vegetable than a legume. 

Can I Make Taco Soup Paleo?

Creamy taco soup can be made paleo, by leaving out the cream cheese. You can use a dairy-free cream cheese that is paleo-approved. 

Or another option to give it some creaminess is to use coconut milk or coconut cream.

I haven’t tried using either of these substitutions, so I can’t speak from experience. But if you try them, please let me know in the comments section below.

Taco Soup Cooking Methods

There are three main ways you can cook this creamy taco soup. We’ll cover how to cook it on the stove, in a slow cooker, and in an instant pot.

How to Make Cheesy Keto Taco Soup on the Stove?

STEP 1: In a dutch oven or stockpot add the olive oil and ground beef. Cook on medium heat until the meat is almost cooked. I used a meat chopper for the ground beef and it works wonders.

STEP 2: After the ground beef is just about cooked, add the onions, and bell pepper. Stir and cook the onions and peppers for about 2-3 minutes.

STEP 3: Now add the taco seasoning, 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes, and cream cheese.

Stir all the ingredients together.

STEP 4: Once the cream cheese has melted, pour in the beef broth.

STEP 5: Bring the soup to a boil, then let simmer for 20 minutes.

STEP 6: Serve and garnish with your favorite taco toppings.

Can I Make Taco Soup in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can definitely make taco soup in your slow cooker!

1. In a dutch oven or stockpot add the olive oil and ground beef. Cook on medium heat until the meat is almost cooked. I used a meat chopper for the ground beef and it works wonders.
2. Transfer the ground beef to the slow cooker. Add the onions, peppers, Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning, and beef broth.
3. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
4. Right before serving, add the cream cheese and stir until it fully melts.
5. Serve and garnish with your favorite taco toppings.

Can I Make Taco Soup in an Instant Pot?

Using your instant pot is another way to make this keto taco soup. 

1. Add the olive oil, ground beef, and onions to the IP. Press “Sauté” and brown the meat. After the meat is cooked, turn off the IP.
2. Add the peppers, Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning, and beef broth.
3. Manually set the pressure on high for 5 minutes, then do a natural release for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cream cheese.
5. Serve and garnish with your favorite taco toppings.

FAQs & Best Tips

• Ground beef is my favorite, but you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Keto taco soup can be made on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot. 
• Use our homemade taco seasoning instead of store-bought. It’s cheaper and healthier. 
• Add in extra cream cheese, or heavy cream to make the keto taco soup thicker. 
• A meat chopper is great for breaking up the ground beef. One of my favorite new kitchen tools.

How to Make Taco Soup Creamier and Thicker?

If you want to make your low carb taco soup creamier and thicker, start by adding in either more cream cheese or you can use a little bit of heavy cream. Either one you choose, only add a small amount at a time until you have reached your desired thickness. 

Adding More Flavor

Feel free to add in more taco seasoning if you are finding the creamy taco soup on the bland side. I didn’t add garlic, but that’s another great way to add more flavor. 

Can You Eat Tacos on Keto?

Yeah buddy!! You should not have to ever live without tacos in your life, no matter what diet you are on. The way that I have made tacos possible for everyone eating low carb I made two different kinds of taco shells: 

Crispy Keto Cheese Taco Shells – These actually are my favorite, they are made entirely out of cheddar cheese making them less than 1 net carb per shell.

Keto Almond Flour Tortillas – These tortillas are going to resemble corn tortillas in looks and taste. 

Whichever you make, I guarantee you are going to be so excited to have tacos back in your life!

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Gluten-Free: This keto taco soup is thick and creamy, but we don’t use any flour as a thickener making it gluten-free. Instead, we use cream cheese as our thickener.
• Dairy-Free: We use cream cheese in our low carb taco soup, but you can replace it with vegan cream cheese to make it dairy-free.
• Nut-Free: Absolutely 100% nut-free, which can be hard at times when eating keto because nuts are in so many recipes.

What to Serve with Cheesy Keto Taco Soup?

Soup and salad is the first thing that comes to my mind. A nice leafy garden salad would be a great accompaniment with this delicious creamy taco soup. 

Bread is always good to dip into any soup too. Try our Keto Bread, Keto Dinner Rolls, and another great one is our newest recipe…Keto Cornbread.

Make-Ahead and Storing Options 

Most soup lovers will tell you that soup the next day is even better than the first because the flavors really intensify. 

Store your leftover creamy taco soup in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat on the Stove: Place the keto soup in a saucepan and heat on medium heat until the desired temperature has been reached. 

Reheat in the Microwave: Place the keto soup in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 60-90 seconds. You may want to cover the soup with a paper towel to prevent splattering.

Can You Freeze Low Carb Taco Soup?

Yes, you can go ahead and freeze this keto taco soup, but I would recommend freezing it before adding the cream cheese. 

When you freeze cream cheese and or heavy cream, it does not always freeze well and leave you with a grainy texture when thawed. Instead, add the cream cheese to the keto soup when reheating the soup. 

To Freeze: Place the keto soup in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tools to Use

• Stock Pot/Dutch Oven 
• Crock-Pot 
• Instant Pot 
• Meat Chopper – This comes in handy when breaking up the ground beef. 
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

What Kind of Soups Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?

There are lots of different soups you can eat while being on a keto diet. The key to making or finding the best low carb soups is to double check your ingredients and be sure to omit any that are not keto-friendly. 

Leaving ingredients out of soups like flour, rice, pasta, beans, and some veggies that are high in carbs can help keep the carb count lower. 

Here are a few other low carb soup recipes that we have on our website. Please take a look and try them out too.

• Cauliflower Cheese Soup
• Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Keto Beef Stew
• Low Carb Chili
• Keto Chicken Soup
• Low Carb Clam Chowder (Coming Soon)

All of them are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will have your friends raving!

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